The first case for DCI Reg Wexford. When Margaret Parsons disappears, it's assumed that she's run off with another man. But then the missing woman's body is found and a startling discovery is made when Mr. Parsons lets the police into his home...

4 out of 5 stars

It's worth starting here

By
connie
on
03-12-11

Not in the Flesh

A Wexford Novel

By:
Ruth Rendell

Narrated by:
Tim Curry

Length: 6 hrs and 14 mins

Abridged

Overall

4 out of 5 stars
46

Performance

4.5 out of 5 stars
30

Story

4 out of 5 stars
31

When the truffle-hunting dog starts to dig furiously, his master's first reaction is delight at the size of the clump the dog has unearthed: at the going rate, this one truffle might be worth several hundred pounds. Then the dirt falls away to reveal not a precious mushroom but the bones and tendons of what is clearly a human hand.

5 out of 5 stars

Captivating storytelling.

By
Sherry
on
12-20-11

A Sight for Sore Eyes

By:
Ruth Rendell

Narrated by:
Jenny Sterlin

Length: 15 hrs and 31 mins

Unabridged

Overall

4 out of 5 stars
105

Performance

4.5 out of 5 stars
91

Story

4 out of 5 stars
92

Having published 45 books, Ruth Rendell is an internationally popular mystery writer. She has won four Gold Dagger and three Edgar awards. She has been presented with the Commander of the British Empire honor, and named Grand Master by the Mystery Writers of America. In
A Sight For Sore Eyes, Ruth Rendell’s exceptional literary talent shines from each word. Teddy Brex is a handsome young man. Raised by parents who never loved him, he has grown to put his trust in objects.

3 out of 5 stars

Reader emits noises that are distracting

By
Teresa
on
06-14-12

A Test of Wills

By:
Charles Todd

Narrated by:
Samuel Giles

Length: 10 hrs and 28 mins

Unabridged

Overall

4 out of 5 stars
685

Performance

4 out of 5 stars
606

Story

4 out of 5 stars
599

Ian Rutledge returns to his career at Scotland Yard after years fighting in the First World War. Unknown to his colleagues he is still suffering from shell shock, and is burdened with the guilt of having had executed a young soldier on the battlefield for refusing to fight. A jealous colleague has learned of his secret and has managed to have Rutledge assigned to a difficult case which could spell disaster for Rutledge whatever the outcome. A retired officer has been murdered, and Rutledge goes to investigate.

4 out of 5 stars

Good early work in series

By
Kathi
on
01-30-14

The Rottweiler

By:
Ruth Rendell

Narrated by:
Nigel Anthony

Length: 12 hrs and 31 mins

Unabridged

Overall

4 out of 5 stars
107

Performance

4.5 out of 5 stars
94

Story

4 out of 5 stars
95

The first girl had a bite mark on her neck, but they traced the DNA to her boyfriend. But the tabloids got hold of the story and called the killer 'The Rottweiler' and the name stuck. The latest murder takes place very near Inez Ferry's antique shop in Marylebone. When the Rottweiler’s trinkets start showing up in the shop, suddenly, everyone Inez knows is a suspect, and the killer feels all too close.

4 out of 5 stars

Lots of atmosphere, and a Freudian mystery.

By
Sparkly
on
11-03-12

The Crocodile Bird

By:
Ruth Rendell

Narrated by:
Jill Tanner

Length: 12 hrs and 18 mins

Unabridged

Overall

4 out of 5 stars
53

Performance

4.5 out of 5 stars
45

Story

4 out of 5 stars
45

Liza is raised in a remote rural hamlet. One evening, Liza’s mother orders her to leave home forever. Paralyzed at having to fend for herself, Liza finds refuge with Sean, a drifter with whom she begins to share the bizarre story of her life.

4 out of 5 stars

The Crocodile Bird-not Rendell's best, still good

By
Fay
on
02-28-13

From Doon with Death

A Chief Inspector Wexford Mystery, Book 1 (Unabridged)

By:
Ruth Rendell

Narrated by:
Terrence Hardiman

Length: 5 hrs and 29 mins

Unabridged

Overall

4 out of 5 stars
348

Performance

4 out of 5 stars
251

Story

4 out of 5 stars
251

The first case for DCI Reg Wexford. When Margaret Parsons disappears, it's assumed that she's run off with another man. But then the missing woman's body is found and a startling discovery is made when Mr. Parsons lets the police into his home...

4 out of 5 stars

It's worth starting here

By
connie
on
03-12-11

Not in the Flesh

A Wexford Novel

By:
Ruth Rendell

Narrated by:
Tim Curry

Length: 6 hrs and 14 mins

Abridged

Overall

4 out of 5 stars
46

Performance

4.5 out of 5 stars
30

Story

4 out of 5 stars
31

When the truffle-hunting dog starts to dig furiously, his master's first reaction is delight at the size of the clump the dog has unearthed: at the going rate, this one truffle might be worth several hundred pounds. Then the dirt falls away to reveal not a precious mushroom but the bones and tendons of what is clearly a human hand.

5 out of 5 stars

Captivating storytelling.

By
Sherry
on
12-20-11

A Sight for Sore Eyes

By:
Ruth Rendell

Narrated by:
Jenny Sterlin

Length: 15 hrs and 31 mins

Unabridged

Overall

4 out of 5 stars
105

Performance

4.5 out of 5 stars
91

Story

4 out of 5 stars
92

Having published 45 books, Ruth Rendell is an internationally popular mystery writer. She has won four Gold Dagger and three Edgar awards. She has been presented with the Commander of the British Empire honor, and named Grand Master by the Mystery Writers of America. In
A Sight For Sore Eyes, Ruth Rendell’s exceptional literary talent shines from each word. Teddy Brex is a handsome young man. Raised by parents who never loved him, he has grown to put his trust in objects.

3 out of 5 stars

Reader emits noises that are distracting

By
Teresa
on
06-14-12

A Test of Wills

By:
Charles Todd

Narrated by:
Samuel Giles

Length: 10 hrs and 28 mins

Unabridged

Overall

4 out of 5 stars
685

Performance

4 out of 5 stars
606

Story

4 out of 5 stars
599

Ian Rutledge returns to his career at Scotland Yard after years fighting in the First World War. Unknown to his colleagues he is still suffering from shell shock, and is burdened with the guilt of having had executed a young soldier on the battlefield for refusing to fight. A jealous colleague has learned of his secret and has managed to have Rutledge assigned to a difficult case which could spell disaster for Rutledge whatever the outcome. A retired officer has been murdered, and Rutledge goes to investigate.

4 out of 5 stars

Good early work in series

By
Kathi
on
01-30-14

The Rottweiler

By:
Ruth Rendell

Narrated by:
Nigel Anthony

Length: 12 hrs and 31 mins

Unabridged

Overall

4 out of 5 stars
107

Performance

4.5 out of 5 stars
94

Story

4 out of 5 stars
95

The first girl had a bite mark on her neck, but they traced the DNA to her boyfriend. But the tabloids got hold of the story and called the killer 'The Rottweiler' and the name stuck. The latest murder takes place very near Inez Ferry's antique shop in Marylebone. When the Rottweiler’s trinkets start showing up in the shop, suddenly, everyone Inez knows is a suspect, and the killer feels all too close.

4 out of 5 stars

Lots of atmosphere, and a Freudian mystery.

By
Sparkly
on
11-03-12

The Crocodile Bird

By:
Ruth Rendell

Narrated by:
Jill Tanner

Length: 12 hrs and 18 mins

Unabridged

Overall

4 out of 5 stars
53

Performance

4.5 out of 5 stars
45

Story

4 out of 5 stars
45

Liza is raised in a remote rural hamlet. One evening, Liza’s mother orders her to leave home forever. Paralyzed at having to fend for herself, Liza finds refuge with Sean, a drifter with whom she begins to share the bizarre story of her life.

4 out of 5 stars

The Crocodile Bird-not Rendell's best, still good

By
Fay
on
02-28-13

The Widows of Malabar Hill

By:
Sujata Massey

Narrated by:
Soneela Nankani

Length: 14 hrs and 34 mins

Unabridged

Overall

4 out of 5 stars
76

Performance

4 out of 5 stars
71

Story

4 out of 5 stars
70

Bombay, 1921: Perveen Mistry, the daughter of a respected Zoroastrian family, has just joined her father's law firm, becoming one of the first female lawyers in India. Armed with a law degree from Oxford, Perveen also has a tragic personal history that makes her especially devoted to championing and protecting women's legal rights. Mistry Law has been appointed to execute the will of Mr. Omar Farid, a wealthy Muslim mill owner who has left three widows behind. But as Perveen is going through the paperwork, she notices something strange.

5 out of 5 stars

What a glimpse of Pre-Independence Indian life

By
Jeremiah Huson
on
02-10-18

The Crow Trap

A Vera Stanhope Mystery

By:
Ann Cleeves

Narrated by:
Anne Dover

Length: 14 hrs and 12 mins

Unabridged

Overall

4.5 out of 5 stars
635

Performance

4.5 out of 5 stars
574

Story

4.5 out of 5 stars
566

Three very different women come together to complete an environmental survey. Three women who, in some way or another, know the meaning of betrayal.... For team leader Rachael Lambert, the project is the perfect opportunity to rebuild her confidence after a double betrayal by her lover and boss, Peter Kemp. Botanist Anne Preece, on the other hand, sees it as a chance to indulge in a little deception of her own. And then there is Grace Fulwell, a strange, uncommunicative young woman with plenty of her own secrets to hide....

5 out of 5 stars

Worth the Wait

By
Marina
on
02-26-17

Payment in Blood

By:
Elizabeth George

Narrated by:
Davina Porter

Length: 14 hrs and 34 mins

Unabridged

Overall

4 out of 5 stars
186

Performance

4.5 out of 5 stars
171

Story

4 out of 5 stars
167

The producer of a troubled play invites the cast to spend the weekend in his remote Scottish Highlands estate to hash out the problems. When the housemaid finds the playwright murdered in bed, Thomas Lynley and his partner must unmask the villain.

3 out of 5 stars

Fair for Elizabeth George

By
Jennifer Pineiro
on
05-09-16

P. D. James BBC Radio Drama Collection

Seven Full-Cast Dramatisations

By:
P. D. James

Narrated by:
Greta Scacchi,
Hugh Grant,
full cast,
and others

Length: 16 hrs and 37 mins

Original Recording

Overall

4 out of 5 stars
8

Performance

4.5 out of 5 stars
6

Story

4 out of 5 stars
6

Seven BBC Radio 4 full-cast dramatisations of P. D. James' acclaimed mysteries, plus
P. D. James in Her Own Words. This collection includes:
Cover Her Face,
A Taste for Death,
Devices and Desires,
A Certain Justice,
The Private Patient,
An Unsuitable Job for a Woman and
The Skull Beneath the Skin.

5 out of 5 stars

Desert Island drama

By
Die Falknerin
on
02-13-18

Cherringham - A Cosy Crime Series Compilation (Cherringham 1 - 3)

By:
Matthew Costello,
Neil Richards

Narrated by:
Neil Dudgeon

Length: 7 hrs and 48 mins

Unabridged

Overall

4.5 out of 5 stars
2,001

Performance

4.5 out of 5 stars
1,795

Story

4.5 out of 5 stars
1,786

Jack's a retired ex-cop from New York, seeking the simple life in Cherringham. Sarah's a Web designer who's moved back to the village find herself. But their lives are anything but quiet as the two team up to solve Cherringham's criminal mysteries. This compilation contains episodes 1 - 3: MURDER ON THAMES, MYSTERY AT THE MANOR and MURDER BY MOONLIGHT.

4 out of 5 stars

Great Find

By
Marie
on
10-29-16

Raven Black

Book One of the Shetland Island Quartet

By:
Ann Cleeves

Narrated by:
Gordon Griffin

Length: 11 hrs and 20 mins

Unabridged

Overall

4 out of 5 stars
1,665

Performance

4.5 out of 5 stars
1,502

Story

4 out of 5 stars
1,503

It is a cold January morning, and Shetland lies beneath a deep layer of snow. Trudging home, Fran Hunter's eye is drawn to a splash of color on the frozen ground, ravens circling above. It is the strangled body of her teenage neighbor, Catherine Ross. The locals on the quiet island stubbornly focus their gaze on one man - loner and simpleton Magnus Tait.

4 out of 5 stars

Great start to series, no audio problems anymore

By
Mark
on
03-28-17

The Last Detective

An Inspector Peter Diamond Investigation

By:
Peter Lovesey

Narrated by:
Simon Prebble

Length: 11 hrs and 31 mins

Unabridged

Overall

4 out of 5 stars
517

Performance

4.5 out of 5 stars
457

Story

4 out of 5 stars
453

Detective Superintendent Peter Diamond is the last detective: a genuine gumshoe, committed to door-stopping and deduction rather than fancy computer gadgetry. So when the naked body of a woman is found floating in the weeds in a lake near Bath with no one willing to identify her, no marks, and no murder weapon, his sleuthing abilities are tested to the limit.

4 out of 5 stars

Pleasantly surprised -- loved Inspector Diamond!

By
Tracey
on
01-06-13

Murder in an English Village

By:
Jessica Ellicott

Narrated by:
Barbara Rosenblat

Length: 9 hrs and 25 mins

Unabridged

Overall

4.5 out of 5 stars
233

Performance

4.5 out of 5 stars
211

Story

4 out of 5 stars
212

The year is 1920: Flying in the face of convention, legendary American adventuress Beryl Helliwell never fails to surprise and shock. The last thing her adoring public would expect is that she craves some peace and quiet. The humdrum hamlet of Walmsley Parva in the English countryside seems just the ticket. And, honestly, until America comes to its senses and repeals Prohibition, Beryl has no intention of returning stateside and subjecting herself to bathtub gin.

5 out of 5 stars

As good and better than mysteries on the Times!

By
The Shepherdess
on
12-20-17

Force of Nature

A Novel

By:
Jane Harper

Narrated by:
Stephen Shanahan

Length: 8 hrs and 56 mins

Unabridged

Overall

4 out of 5 stars
462

Performance

4.5 out of 5 stars
431

Story

4 out of 5 stars
429

When five colleagues are forced to go on a corporate retreat in the wilderness, they reluctantly pick up their backpacks and start walking down the muddy path. But one of the women doesn't come out of the woods. And each of her companions tells a slightly different story about what happened. Federal Police Agent Aaron Falk has a keen interest in the whereabouts of the missing hiker.

4 out of 5 stars

Excellent New Series Continues

By
Sara
on
02-16-18

Magpie Murders

A Novel

By:
Anthony Horowitz

Narrated by:
Samantha Bond,
Allan Corduner

Length: 15 hrs and 47 mins

Unabridged

Overall

4.5 out of 5 stars
4,469

Performance

4.5 out of 5 stars
4,112

Story

4.5 out of 5 stars
4,089

When editor Susan Ryeland is given the manuscript of Alan Conway's latest novel, she has no reason to think it will be much different from any of his others. After working with the best-selling crime writer for years, she's intimately familiar with his detective, Atticus Pünd, who solves mysteries disturbing sleepy English villages. An homage to queens of classic British crime such as Agatha Christie and Dorothy Sayers, Alan's traditional formula has proved hugely successful.

3 out of 5 stars

A British Whodunit

By
Sara
on
07-24-17

Secret Santa (Cherringham - A Cosy Crime Series: Mystery Shorts 25)

By:
Matthew Costello,
Neil Richards

Narrated by:
Neil Dudgeon

Length: 2 hrs and 35 mins

Unabridged

Overall

4.5 out of 5 stars
290

Performance

5 out of 5 stars
257

Story

4.5 out of 5 stars
257

Bill Vokes has played Santa at the children's Christmas show for years. But with the show just hours away, he vanishes with no explanation. The whole village is baffled. Did something bad happen to loveable Bill, upstanding citizen, churchgoer, life and soul of the party and the holiday season? Jack and Sarah are on the case - and soon discover there are secrets about this Santa that no one could have imagined.

5 out of 5 stars

I love this series! please make more!

By
Amazon Customer
on
01-11-18

A Quiet Life in the Country

A Lady Hardcastle Mystery, Book 1

By:
T E Kinsey

Narrated by:
Elizabeth Knowelden

Length: 7 hrs and 43 mins

Unabridged

Overall

4 out of 5 stars
4,237

Performance

4.5 out of 5 stars
3,814

Story

4 out of 5 stars
3,813

Lady Emily Hardcastle is an eccentric widow with a secret past. Florence Armstrong, her maid and confidante, is an expert in martial arts. The year is 1908 and they've just moved from London to the country, hoping for a quiet life. But it is not long before Lady Hardcastle is forced out of her self-imposed retirement. There's a dead body in the woods, and the police are on the wrong scent. Lady Hardcastle makes some enquiries of her own, and it seems she knows a surprising amount about crime investigation...

3 out of 5 stars

A nice cozy read!

By
Yvonne
on
11-30-16

Publisher's Summary

Wessex is retired - or would be, if murder and danger would only leave him alone.

The impossible has happened. Chief Inspector Reg Wexford has retired. He and his wife now divide their time between Kingsmarkham and a coachhouse in Hampstead belonging to their actress daughter, Sheila. For all the benefits of a more relaxed way of life, Wexford misses being the law. But a chance meeting in a London street, with someone he had known briefly as a very young police constable, changes everything. Tom Ede is now a detective superintendent, and is very keen to recruit Wexford as an adviser on a difficult case.

The bodies of two women and a man have been discovered in the old coal hole of an attractive house in St John's Wood. None carries identification. But the man's jacket pockets contain a string of pearls, a diamond and a sapphire necklace as well as other jewellery valued in the region of 40,000. Wexford is intrigued and excited by the challenge - until this new investigative role brings him into serious physical danger.

This said it is unabriged, but is it

As usual, a good story by Ruth Rendell...but I recognize it from a much longer story in which we see the murders, the sealing up of the door, the artists and his girlg\friend 30 years before, and much more which I shall not give away. So, I am not sure what is going on. If you are a Ruth Rendell reader, I assure you - you have read this.

Not her most compelling

Where does The Vault rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

As a fan of Ruth Rendell I was quite excited to get and listen to The Vault. It didn't quite live up to the writing quality of her other books, but was engaging all the same. For fans of her detective series this is a must. It moves him into his next stage of life and how he deals with it. The mystery is intriguing, but unwinds a little slowly. The reader is very good with English accents and suggests class, age and gender well.

Will not finish this one..

Would you try another book from Ruth Rendell and/or Steven Crossley?

It is difficult to stay involved in this story line- so unusual with a Rendell offering- because it seems that fully 2/3 of the characters are long deceased. Never having met either possible victims or presumed killer/killers; I can hardly be spellbound by the working out of this puzzle (cannot call it thriller)

Which character – as performed by Steven Crossley – was your favorite?

Always enjoy Inspector Wexford

Would you consider the audio edition of The Vault to be better than the print version?

NA

Who was your favorite character and why?

Inspector Wexford, because he is so bright, but so human. Has doubts and foibles like anyone. Enjoy his habit of introspection on all things he thinks and sees.

What does Steven Crossley bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

No refelection on Mr. Crosley but I listen to books being read because I am doing other things and it is convenient. I read books in both forms. One over the other is chosen because of location, primarily in my car or the kitchen.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Not that I can think of.

Any additional comments?

Wexford is very analytical and has a great relationship with his wife of many years. He works with people, not in cross purposes. He is way too patient with his children, but that is part of him. Patience.

Ruth Rendell is always a good read.

I enjoy the Insp. Wexford series but was a little miffed that he had retired. I think that I'm going to go back and reread from the beginning of this series. I don't like that Wexford is thwarted in his investigations by no longer having a badge. He gets the job done, but it's just not as satisfying to me without the power of the office behind him.

Reg still on the case

I like the way it brings an old Rendell story (A Sight for Sore Eyes) and the Wexford series together.

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

Yes, for the same reason given above and also revealing how Wexford is adjusting, or trying to adjust to retirement. Rendell is very good at weaving various strings of a plot together, revealing just enough here and there.

What does Steven Crossley bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

I am a long time listener to the Wexford series and always enjoyed the way Crossley portrays his characters by just a subtle change of voice, more like an attitude than an alteration of register.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

The obvious point was where Wexford and Sheila have their emotional exchange after she and her sons have taken over his house. But I find the times Rendell writes with Wexford and his grandchildren always very moving.

Any additional comments?

It does make me a bit nervous to now that Chief Inspector Wexford is retired, I can't imagine a time where I won't be able to look over his shoulder as he investigates. It's rather selfish of me, I know, to keep him from his well-deserved rest.